fondue

noun

fon·​due fän-ˈdü 

-ˈdyü,

ˈfän-ˌd(y)ü

variants or less commonly fondu

1

: a dish similar to a soufflé usually made with cheese and bread crumbs

2

a(1)

: a preparation of melted cheese (such as Swiss cheese and Gruyère) usually flavored with white wine and kirsch

(2)

: a dish that consists of small pieces of food (such as meat or fruit) cooked in or dipped into a hot liquid

beef fondue

chocolate fondue

b

: a chafing dish in which fondue is made

Examples of fondue in a Sentence

dip fruit in melted chocolate to have a chocolate fondue

Recent Examples on the Web

The cozy, buzzy restaurant serves up some interesting small plates such as burrata fondue and chicory salad but doesn’t seem to have a lot of structure to its menu. —Liza B. Zimmerman, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025

Okanagan, a region in Canada's British Columbia province, offers great wine, under-the-radar ski hills, and incredible fondue in the winter. —Jennifer Malloy, Travel + Leisure, 17 Feb. 2025

And second, the hemlock in the fondue means the whole gaming group was marked for death. —Sara Netzley, EW.com, 11 Feb. 2025

The star of the show here is their steamed halibut, served with leek fondue and a seaweed beurre blanc, which melts in the mouth, though vegetarians and meat lovers both have plenty to delight in. —Lela London, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, noun derivative from feminine of fondu, past participle of fondre "to melt," going back to Old French — more at found entry 5

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for fondue

• blew
• blue
• boo
• brew
• chew
• chou
• clue
• coo
• coup
• crew
• cue
• dew

Kids Definition

fondue

noun

fon·​due fän-ˈd(y)ü 

: a preparation of melted cheese and flavorings